WHERE THERE'S SMOKE, THERE'S IRE

Health giant won't hire smokers

'This is about improving the health of our employee population'

(PENNLIVE) — Warning: Tobacco can be hazardous to your job search. Geisinger Health System, which employs 15,000 people, says it no longer will hire people who use tobacco.

Job applicants will be tested for tobacco use just as they are for illegal drugs. Anyone who smokes cigarettes or cigars or uses smokeless tobacco won’t be hired.

The new policy will apply to people who receive job offers on or after Feb. 1. But it won’t affect existing Geisinger employees.

“This is about improving the health of our employee population and also creating a healthy environment for our patients as well as our employees,” said Amy Brayford, vice president of human resources at Geisinger, which is based in Danville, Pa., about 55 miles north of Harrisburg.